CURRY PUFFS

I love Thai food. It is the first Asian cuisine I learnt to enjoy. I love everything about it: textures, flavours, spices, smells… the full package. Whenever we go out to eat Thai, curry puffs are always among the appetisers we order. I love these crunchy little parcels of fried pastry filled with all kinds of goodies and spices. My favourite ones are the potato filled curry puffs. I like them so much that I started making them at home. I came up with a filling recipe that everyone in the family likes and that is a mix of many recipes. I really do not know how authentic this filling is, but it does taste pretty much the same as what we eat at Thai restaurants around here. As for the pastry, I have been looking for a long time for a good recipe without finding one, so I used to make them with puff pastry. Until a few days ago, when I came upon a very promising (and great looking) curry-puff pastry recipe at Tes at Home, a blog I LOVE. Tes is originally from Thailand so I immediately knew I had to give this recipe a try! And I am so glad I did: the curry puffs tasted delicious and the pastry was crunchy and light. Besides, it looks great… it is actually a pastry made with 2 different doughs: a water based dough and a butter based dough. They are then wrapped one inside the other and rolled out in a very clever way to get beautiful double coloured patterns after you fry them. Don’t they look gorgeous?

Pour the sauce over the veggies. Cook until dry. Set aside to cool completely.

Now prepare the pastry. Start by making the water based dough. Put all the ingredients in a mixer with a dough hook and knead until you get a smooth dough.

Wrap it in cling-wrap and let it rest for 20 minutes.

In the meantime, proceed to make the butter based dough in the same way.

When both doughs are ready, take the water based one and roll it out into a sheet. Then wrap it around the butter based dough.

Now roll out this ball into a long sheet and roll it back in tightly like a Swiss roll.

Roll out the dough again and roll it back in tightly like you did before.

Slice the dough into 3 mm thick circles and gently roll them out with the rolling pin.

Spoon 1 tablespoon of the potato mixture into the centre of each pastry round. Fold the pastry in half and fold the edges over to seal your curry puff.

Deep fry them in batches in vegetable oil over medium-high heat until golden brown. Transfer them to a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain the excess oil. Serve them hot with some sweet chilli sauce.

NOTE: You can also make these curry puffs using puff pastry. And even though they won’t be the traditional curry puffs, the result will still be delicious.

You can even bake the ones made with puff pastry instead of frying them.

What? You mean to say I went all the way to Thailand and I missed these beauties? I have to return ASAP.
Or better still, just follow your amazing recipe. They are so pretty – look like exotic shells in a basket!

OMG your curry puffs look gorgeous! I love they way you made the dough. They turned out so pretty. I had my first curry puff in Singapore and got hooked. The dough look similar to your, but much more flaky. It seems too difficult to make, but you’ve inspired me to go and look for that recipe.

In the Philippines, we call curry puffs “empanada”. I never tried making it with homemade dough but after seeing your very beautiful curry puffs, I just got so inspired!!! I guess I will be trying it soon!

I’ve seen similar oil/water layered doughs get baked instead of fried. I think it might be worth trying your technique with other cooking methods, though it might require adding vegetable coloring to make the pattern stand out.

Girl – I can’t keep up with your production! You are one busy chef! 🙂 I saw these on Tes’ site a while back and they took my breath away. Well, I’m having to catch my breath again! Beautiful! Love the filling and thanks for letting me know that the puff pastry in the oven works just fine – just not as pretty. 🙂

Manu, these curry puffs are making me miss the ones I grew up with in Malaysia where they also come either baked or deep fried although the filling of chicken and potato has more curry and chilli powder and a lot spicier. You have baked them to a perfect golden brown!

Yes! They looks gergeous! 🙂
In indonesia there a snack similar like this manu, called “pastel”
From what I read the skin-pastry looks the same, but the filling basicaly only carrot, potato, and chicken, and sometimes vermicelli
Glad u post this recipe, now I can learn more thai cuisine since I’m a fan of too!
Tasty snack! 😉

Oh…those puffs looks beautiful with that spiral lines. In Peru we call that puffs “empanadas” and are filled with whatever you want, but the filling with potato I only saw in Bolivian puffs called “salteñas”.

Oh my goodness, Manu you did such an incredible job..when I say that first picture I thought “how did she get those lines on the fried dough” but that is an amazing method! Love this, will have to make it when I get fully better.

Completely speechless! I want this right now!!! I love curry and this makes me really happy. The dough is very interesting. I have tried to spread the dough into flat square but I never made it so nicely – I guess practice makes it perfect and I definitely need the practice. So pretty and I bet taste is amazing. Your kids are lucky….:-)

This is so beautiful especially the swirl! I love curry puffs with potatoes, sardines or chicken mushrooms but all these are stall-bought. I didn’t know there’s a Thai version of curry puffs, always thought it’s Malay food.. 😛

Manu, these curry puffs look gorgeous! I tried making Thai curry puffs once or twice (once with a chocolate and plain oil dough!) but even mine didn’t look as perfect as yours. I think using butter and oil has a slightly different effect on the dough, I’m going to have to try making a butter dough.

Manu, Your curry puffs look to die for. I also love them but never tried the Thai versions, only the Malaysian ones. Definitely going to try your recipe. Thanks for participating in September’s YBR 🙂 Sorry I’m so late in getting here.